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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29565690">Petricite</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mombrine/pseuds/Mombrine'>Mombrine</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>League of Legends</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Slow Burn, i have no clue how to write sett, i write literally every big scary boy as soft, its a problem, please enjoy, settlux</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 22:08:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,250</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29565690</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mombrine/pseuds/Mombrine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Lux has been hiding the fact that she's a mage her whole life, but she's had to do it by drinking petricite elixr. When her adventures with Ezreal take her to Ionia, where magic runs rampant, will she be able to keep her secret from keener eyes?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Luxanna "Lux" Crownguard/Sett</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Lux could remember the first time she was made to drink petricite. She was about five years old at the time. She remembered sitting in her room, reading a book, when her hands began to glow softly, soon radiating a brilliant light. She immediately ran to her mother, crying as she did so. Her mother watched in mute horror, quickly ushering her back to her room. She was soothed, and it stopped for the moment. Internally, her mother was ashamed, feeling horribly guilty for betraying the kingdom so. The Mageseekers were called the next morning, Lux being called out into the main room. No Crownguard child could be thrown in the dungeon to rot away with the rest of the other mages.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>No, she had to be hidden as magical, so, she was made to drink the petricite elixir. The Makeseeker, a man with chestnut hair tied into a top knot, and a thick beard, handed her a small glass. She had watched as the white powder was slowly mixed with water, turning from a sludge into a drinkable liquid. She took it, looking at it curiously before taking a sip, immediately spitting it out. It tasted awful! She looked to her mother, who gave her an extremely stern look. She knew, then, that she had to drink it. She put on her best brave face, swallowing thickly before downing the glass. It was a struggle, tears welling in her eyes as it burned its way down her throat. She fought the urge to throw up, and managed well enough.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A bit later, her energy sapped, she collapsed on the floor in the living area. She heard faint voices, something about her being weak after each dose. She felt herself being lifted up, and she was placed in her bed, the covers pulled up to her chin. This was just how things were going to be. She drank some every day, and as she grew, along with her magic, the doses had to become more frequent, to the point she had to carry it around on her person at all times to sip throughout the day. She was frequently ill and frail, and their story was that she was just ill, a rare disease that wasn’t curable. Eventually, she had enough. When she reached the age of twenty-two, she ran away.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It had become such a habit, though, and she was so afraid of word getting back and ruining her family name, that she took a large satchel of the powder with her, to mix her own elixir to keep consuming. She had taken Starfire with her, and off the two set, off for somewhere better, where maybe, she wouldn’t be judged for who she was. Yet, she remained terrified of the judgement, terrified that word would get back to Demacia, so she continued to drink it. She traveled for a long time, finding herself in Piltover, where she met Ezreal. The two became very fast friends, and that was how she found herself where she was now, on a boat headed for Ionia.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They went on fantastical adventures together all the time, and this adventure was no different. She had brought powder and elixir with her, although their trip would be short, she had to be sure none of her magical affinity shone through. She took a sip from her flask, making a sour face. Her excuse? Medicine. It wasn’t terribly hard to find petricite in Piltover, as it was used to absorb excess magic, so it was easy for her to get her hands on more constantly. She was thankful that this trip would be short, though, so she didn’t have to worry about bringing too terribly much. They got off the boat with no incident, Ezreal eager to get moving.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They were set to explore one of the larger cities in the area, where there were rumors of an underground fighting ring amongst the less savory members of society, that Ezreal just </span>
  <em>
    <span>loved</span>
  </em>
  <span> to chat up. So, of course, he wanted to explore it. Lux knew she wouldn’t be able to convince him otherwise, and that was how she found herself wandering the street late at night with Ezreal by her side. Today had been an especially rough day for her, so they had been taking things slow, Ezreal always understanding of her and her illness, although he didn’t know the cause or exact nature of it, and he didn’t pry. She had had to take many drinks throughout the day to keep her magic at bay, and had been especially sick because of it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They traveled through alleys and passageways at the instruction of someone Ezreal had met, eventually ending up in an underground arena, the area bustling with people of all varieties. Of course Ezreal wandered off on his own to interview people, explore, and see if he could  get his hands on anything for his uncle’s museum. This left her alone to wander around and explore, not ideal for the area they were in, but Ezreal assumed that Lux could handle herself. What she didn’t notice, however, was how brightly she shone to the keen eyes of those who could sense magical auras. She definitely stood out in the crowd, and she was immediately noticed by none other than the owner and operator of the underground ring. Sett.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He stood up on a balcony, having just been surveying the crowd when he noticed how brightly she shone compared to everyone else. She was also alone, and that was never a good thing, especially for where they were and how absolutely defenseless she appeared. Damn him and his curiosity, and how much he cared about the safety and wellbeing of people like her. He managed to make his way downstairs and pick through the crowd, Lux just looking around a bit aimlessly as he approached. She glanced to him for a brief moment, but paid him no mind until he spoke to her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s a little lady like yourself doing all alone here? It’s not exactly safe for you, ya know.” He said a bit pointedly, looking her over as he tried to figure out why she was shining so damn brightly. It was like she was asking to get kidnapped for her magical power. She jumped when he spoke, swallowing thickly as she looked up at him. He was rather large, and there was no way she would be able to fight someone his size off if she needed to.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“O-Oh, I’m not alone.” She said as firmly as she could manage. “My brother is… somewhere around here…” She grumbled, standing on her tiptoes to try to see over the crowd, but it was hopeless, as she was much too short.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Mmmm, that guy you walked in with?” He asked, pausing as he tried to think of how to ask her about her brilliant aura, or how he would even begin to address it. She had been making it a point to drink more today, especially since many beings around here could see magical auras, and she had wanted to hide it as thoroughly as possible. She took out her canteen, taking a sip from it. She winced a bit, huffing as she put it back away. He watched her aura flicker a bit, and dim ever so slightly. He was now even more curious, eyeing her suspiciously.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Strong stuff you got there?” He asked, watching her carefully.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You could say that…” She said softly, trying to avoid answering any more thoroughly than that.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, let’s find your brother. I’d hate for a little lady like you to get hurt. There’s some unsavory people around here, and this place certainly isn’t for people like you. Don’t know what he was thinkin’ bringin’ you with him. He muttered as he shook his head. He shifted to grab her waist, lifting her up easily and setting her on his shoulder. She made a noise of surprise, blinking a few times as she set a hand on his head to steady herself. “See him?” He called up to her, Lux scanning the crowd for Ezreal.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, he’s over there.” She pointed, pausing for a moment as she brought her hand to her mouth, a wave of nausea crashing over her suddenly. “I need you to put me down…” She managed through clenched teeth, her whole body tense suddenly. He felt it, obliging her and setting her down as quickly and carefully as he could, not wanting to overstep any boundaries or make her uncomfortable, which he had assumed he had done, until she was pushing her way through the crowd towards the exit instead of towards Ezreal. He was a bit surprised, and felt a bit obligated suddenly to make sure she was safe and alright, and apologize to her if he had made her uncomfortable. Lux barely managed to get outside into the night air before she got sick in the alley, holding her stomach as she did so.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sett had followed to the best of his ability, wondering to himself why he was so concerned over some girl, why he was letting his curiosity get the better of him like this, when he noticed she was getting sick. He frowned slightly, making his way over, but keeping a distance.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What the fuck did you drink?” He asked, scrutinizing her. “Whatever it was, it wasn’t booze. It made your aura dim immediately.” He added. Her eyes widened a bit when she righted herself, her lip trembling a bit.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t… I didn’t think anybody would see it…” She mumbled anxiously. “You… can?” She asked in an incredulous whisper. He frowned again, speaking cautiously.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, anyone with eyes would be able to see how bright you are.” He said a bit plainly, crossing his arms as he watched her. She looked so anxious, he was wondering if there was more going on here. “Look, if you’ve been kidnapped, or you’re being trafficked or somethin’-” Tears welled in her eyes as she cut him off, voice trembling.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Please don’t tell anyone else.” She begged. “The petricite should have worked, I don’t know-” Sett’s eyes widened, suddenly putting his hands out to shush her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, shh shh, not so damned loud. You </span>
  <em>
    <span>drank</span>
  </em>
  <span> petricite?” He asked in an incredulous whisper, looking around to make sure they were alone, and nobody else had heard them. “Like, actually drank it? Where the hell are you from?” He asked as he moved a bit closer, making her seem a little tense.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Demacia…” She mumbled. Oh. Oh that explained just about everything. She must be a mage on the run or something, he decided. Maybe the boy she was with had kidnapped her, and she was trying to run away from him? She looked visibly sick, shivering slightly as she tried to ignore the queasy feeling. What the fuck was he supposed to do now with this sick looking girl? He couldn’t just abandon her, especially not after she had drank </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Look, not everyone can see auras. I can, but that’s not your biggest worry here. Does he… Does your brother let you drink that shit? Does he make you? ‘Cause you’re gonna die if you keep that up. Demacia’s terrible, shunning magic how it does.” He growled lowly, ears pinning back as his tail swished with agitation. The idea of someone using this poor girl was making him angry already, and he was more than willing to beat the shit out of the kid if it would help her. She frowned, looking at the ground as anxiety swelled in her chest.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“He doesn’t know…” She admitted softly, the nausea starting to pass slowly. “I have to hide what I am. I’d embarrass my family, I’d embarrass myself. Being a mage is so shameful…” Her brow furrowed before she looked up at him, pleading in her eyes. “Please don’t tell him.” She begged. Ezreal stumbled out of the entrance, laughing a bit as he did so, pausing as seriousness flashed across his features at the sight of the two conversing, especially with Sett’s frustrated expression and his fierce body language.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s going on here? Lux, are you alright?” He asked as he approached, trying to get between the two of them. “I’m fine, I was just having another spell. He just saw me rush out and wanted to make sure I was alright.” She explained. Sett whispered now, more than agitated as he spoke.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s going to kill you, drinking that shit. Any family that scorns magic is no family at all. Ionia’s full of magic, and I couldn’t imagine anyone poisoning it all with petricite. You </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> shouldn’t drink that. Mages with your amount of power don’t come along often, and much less often </span>
  <em>
    <span>naturally</span>
  </em>
  <span>. You should embrace it.” His voice was low and serious as he spoke, Lux’s eyes widening as she glanced to Ezreal, hoping that he hadn’t heard half of it over the din emanating from the entrance. Ezreal frowned, not liking this one bit.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks for sitting with her, but I think I-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I can handle this, thank you, Ezreal. You can go back inside.” She assured. He watched the two for a moment, sighing as he relented. She was as stubborn as they came, and he knew that he couldn’t stop her. He still didn’t like it, though, disappearing back into the chaos of the building. If he had heard, he had elected to ignore the conversation they were having. “If it kills me, then good.” She whispered softly, looking down at the ground. She looked extremely sad as she spoke. “My family would be better off if I didn’t exist. Nobody else knows I’m a mage, not even Ezreal, but now…” She trailed off, taking a shaky breath. “I’m cursed…” She whimpered. “I’m so sorry to burden you with this, I’m just some stranger…” She mumbled, forcing a weak laugh as Sett watched her with genuine concern. She wanted to drink more, suppress her magic further, not wanting to be seen by prying eyes. Soon, even the petricite wouldn’t help if she couldn’t calm down, her magic always flaring up when her emotions were out of control. Sett sighed softly, shaking his head.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Look, I might be some stranger, but I care about people here, whether they live here or they’re just passin’ through. You could really be somethin’, but I’m not trying to force the point. Wouldn’t your family want you to grow stronger and embrace what you are?” He asked, eyes softening. “Only Demacia could mess with someone’s head like this, I’ve never heard a mage call their magic a curse…” He mumbled the last part, mostly to himself, glancing to her canteen, then to her. “Don’t drink any more of that.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“They wouldn’t.” She answered a bit flatly. “My mother called the Mageseekers when I was five. I remember the first time she forced me to drink it. I tried to escape that, but it’s too ingrained. I’m ashamed of what I am…” She trailed off, scowling a bit. “I can’t just stop. People will find out that a Crownguard turned out to be a mage. I can’t.” She protested.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Listen, Lux, right? You have to stop. It’s that simple. No one knows who you are here, you can let loose a little. Ionia’s a land of magic, and poisoning your own is nothing short of poisoning the ground.” He huffed, clearly ready to argue his point to the end. “Gimme that.” He pointed to the canteen, holding his hand out expectantly. She watched him, looking scared, and she was. She was terrified of the prospect of having to stop. She trembled a bit, hesitantly taking the canteen and passing it off. She could make more, surely, she had the powder for it hidden on her person.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Here, then. Take it.” She whispered, her eyes downcast. Tears welled in them as she looked up at him, swallowing thickly. “Thank you for not hating me, for what I am…” He looked stunned, blinking a few times.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Why the hell would I hate a mage? There’s at least a hundred magic users in that arena.” He couldn’t help but grin, trying to ease her worries as he took the canteen from her. “Look, any time you come to Ionia, you’re safe. No one’s gonna get you here.” He promised. “You and your brother have an inn, yet?” He asked, raising a brow.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We don’t.” She found herself unable to suppress her smile at the sight of his wolfish grin. “You promise I’m safe here…?” She asked softly, looking hopeful for the first time in a long while. She almost looked pathetic, this sickly girl so full of hope that it was just uncontainable in her expression. It made him feel for her, feel absolutely awful. He felt entirely obligated to ensure her safety, now, for some reason that he couldn’t even begin to describe.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, hell, I’ll stake my life on it.” He said with the utmost certainty. “You two can stay with me. I live on the upper floor of this building.” He hummed, motioning with his thumb back at the arena building. He wanted to make sure she didn’t have another stash of petricite, not wanting her to mix up more and continue to drink the God awful stuff.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, are you sure?” She asked, seeming a bit less drawn inward, blossoming more now, much more personable than before. “It’s really no trouble for us to find a place, I don’t know if Ezreal will be very keen on the idea…” She admitted, rubbing the back of her neck anxiously.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, why don’t you see? He brought you to the arena I’m guessing? If you need help convincing him, my name’s Sett.” He offered kindly, beaming at her. She nodded a bit, smiling gently.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, Sett.” She gave him a little nod. “We should go back inside then, I’ll have to find him and talk to him. Is there a good place I could meet you once we talk?” She asked, tilting her head ever so slightly when she posed the question. He rubbed his chin, thinking about it hard for a moment.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmm… Maybe just kinda yell for me? I have good ears.” He hummed, smirking a bit. That made her smile a bit, and she nodded slightly before speaking.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, I’ll see you soon, then.” She promised, moving to step back into the crowd.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Ezreal had been waiting rather close to the door, only through a bit of the crows. He had been concerned for Lux’s wellbeing, huffing a bit in relief when he saw her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There you are! I was getting really worried. I was gonna head outside to check on you again.” He explained, moving to hug her gently. She hugged him back, rubbing his back gently.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine, I promise.” She assured gently.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, I wanna try to meet the guy that runs this place. They say his name is Sett. I’m hoping I can get an interview with him or something, ask him if he knows any good places to get quality pieces.” He explained, Lux pausing as she tried not to smile too much.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I came to ask you about something. That guy that helped me earlier offered us a place to stay. I think he’s genuinely a nice guy and we can trust him, so it’s up to you.” Ezreal paused, frowning a bit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t like how he was towering over you like that.” He muttered, glossing over the subject of the conversation they had been having.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I promise he was doing it for good reason, I was being stubborn about resting.” She lied easily enough. “He’s genuinely really sweet, I think it would be worth a try. If it gets sketchy, we can always leave.” She offered. Ezreal hummed, mulling it over for a moment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright.” He relented. “But any funny business and we are outta there. Let me see if I can’t find this Sett guy and ask him a few questions first.” Lux grinned now, giggling a bit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hold on just a second.” She said, cupping her hands around her mouth. “Sett!” She called loudly, drawing the attention of a few people around her, who wondered what the hell she was doing. Ezreal’s eyes widened a bit as he gawked at her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are you, crazy?!” He demanded, Lux still smiling.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just wait!” She insisted. Sett had wandered off to placate whatever people had strolled in to get ready for the fights, pausing as his ears perked at the sound of his name, recognizing it as Lux’s voice. He parted the crowd easily, in front of the two of them in just a few minutes. She beamed at him, Ezreal gawking.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s- you just- you made friends with him?! You just make friends wherever you go!” He cried incredulously, Lux unable to stop herself from laughing a bit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not like I did it on purpose.” She turned her attention to Sett, who was smiling at the display of happiness. “Ezreal is fine with us staying, thank you so much again for offering.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not a problem!” He assured, waving a hand to dismiss it. “Seriously, though, you look a ton better than you did earlier.” He stated, glad that she had some color to her face now, and looked a bit less sickly. He leaned down to whisper to her, making sure only she heard. “If you have any more of that stuff, you can give it to me later when we aren’t in a crowd full of magical beings. That shit is </span>
  <em>
    <span>stupid</span>
  </em>
  <span> illegal here.” He mumbled, Lux giving a little nod. She swallowed thickly, a bit nervous now to be caught with it. He turned to smile at Ezreal, chuckling a bit. “I was just concerned ‘cause she didn’t look too great earlier, and we ended up talkin’. Figured since you guys are just visiting, you could stay with me, save some cash, and I can make sure she’s not gettin’ sick with somethin’. I think it’s a fair trade.” He hummed, catching her eye. He would have to be extremely careful with the petricite once he had it, and it would have to be disposed of properly. Ezreal gave a little chuckle as he looked to Sett.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She gets sick a lot, unfortunately.” Lux flushed a bit in embarrassment, clearing her throat to derail the conversation. Sett gave her a bit of a sympathetic look, getting the hint that she didn’t want to talk about it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, Ezreal, I’m sure we can meet up again soon if you wanted to go explore some more, I’m going to stay with Sett, if that’s okay with him?” She asked softly, looking to him for approval.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, you’re good to stay with me.” He smiled. “Y’all wanna get your stuff all settled? We can run upstairs real quick.” He offered, Lux giving a little nod. Her bag was starting to feel a bit heavy, so she was grateful for the suggestion. They had packed extremely light, though, as that was how Ezreal tended to travel. Ezreal gave a little nod, beaming excitedly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine with me! Sounds like a good idea.” He said decidedly. “Lead the way.” Sett nodded, leading them up an out of the way staircase to an upper deck that partially ringed around the room, giving a good view of most angles of the ring and the room in general. A few sentries were posted at spaced intervals, surveying the room for un-sanctioned fights. Sett side-stepped past one of the guards, nodding to him as the three passed and opened a door.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aaaaalright, here we are! I have a guest room and a couch.” Sett declared, Ezreal speaking up before Lux could.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll take the couch.” He said with a grin, moving to slide his bag off his shoulder. Lux sighed, pouting ever so slightly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, you win.” She huffed, glancing to Sett, her expression softening slightly. “Thank you so much again, we really owe you a favor.” She insisted, moving to take her own bag off her shoulders, huffing a bit as the weight was relieved from her aching back. They had hiked all day long to reach the city, and hadn’t had a break in a while. She felt sick and exhausted at that point, trying not to just collapse into a heap on the floor. “Would you mind showing me to the room?” She asked softly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t owe me anything.” He assured kindly, nodding a bit. “C’mon, follow me.” He hummed, glancing to Ezreal for a moment, gauging his trustworthiness of being left along in his house before turning to lead her down the hall. She followed closely, getting into the room easily enough. She set her bag down, pausing briefly. She realized, then, that she wanted to share her magic with him, share it with someone who wouldn’t judge her, who accepted her for who she was. She was also extremely hesitant to give up the rest of the petricite, but knew that now he had mentioned it, she had to. She slowly got the small bag from her belt, holding it out to him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is the last of it, I promise.” She swore, looking defeated and oh so tired. He took it gingerly, careful with it, like it was a bomb.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good. I’ll take care of it. Oh, and just cause I feel like watching your brother lose it, you guys have box seats, in my personal box. Best seats in the house, on me.” He hummed, beaming pridefully. She flushed a bit, an embarrassed look crossing her features for a brief moment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, really.” She managed softly, unsure of what she was to do with herself. “Oh, uhm… one more thing? If it isn’t too much trouble, would you come back to visit me? I… want to share my magic with someone… I feel like you won’t judge me for it, and it’s been so long since I was allowed to see it… so long since I </span>
  <em>
    <span>have</span>
  </em>
  <span> seen it…” She trailed off, fidgeting with her hands slightly, unsure of what to do with them. This was make or break for her, and she hoped it wasn’t too odd a request for him. He looked at her with soft eyes, understanding how important this must be for her. How did he get so involved with a stranger so quickly? How did they become so close so fast? He wasn’t sure, but he didn’t really mind in the slightest. She needed someone to depend on, and he was willing to be that someone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, of course! I’d love to see what kinda magic you got hidden away.” He admitted, genuinely curious as to what type she wielded. He smiled warmly at her, nodding his head back towards the living area. “You wanna tell him about the box seats?” He asked with a smug look, Lux smiling a bit as she laughed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure.” She situated her bag beside the bed before following him back to the living area, more than happy to share the information with Ezreal. He was positively floored, sputtering and wondering what was even going on. It dawned on him then, that this guy was probably just trying to get with Lux, and it was his job to protect her and weed out the bad apples.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can I speak with you for a second?” Ezreal finally asked, crossing his arms before shooting Lux a look. “In private?” Lux felt a bit nervous, looking to Sett for approval, unsure as to why she did it. She just felt like she couldn’t make the decision for herself for once. Sett shrugged, brow raised with mild amusement.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I gotta get ready for the fights, go ahead ‘n talk without me.” He hummed, turning to leave them alone in the living room as he made his way to his room to get properly ready. Ezreal moved across the room to her, putting a hand on her shoulder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think he’s trying to get something out of you.” He said softly, face plastered with concern. She paused, brow furrowing. Ezreal had no idea of what was really going on, and she intended to keep it that way for now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think so. I think he’s being genuine.” She assured softly, watching him sigh. He scanned her face for a moment, finally relenting.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine, whatever.” He muttered, moving to lead Lux out into the crowded area once again. It wasn’t hard to find their way to the box, and Lux was impressed with the view. She took a seat, Ezreal preferring to stand and watch the fight. It wasn’t very long, but it was certainly… something. Lux didn’t find it very tasteful and hard to watch, but Ezreal ate it up. He went down to place bets on the next fight, leaving her alone in the box to mull over her thoughts. She found her hands starting to warm and glow slightly, clenching them into fists as she tried to hold it back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There is no light within darkness.” She repeated to herself softly, the mantra that she always used to help suppress her magic. Sett had snuck down while the two had been occupied with their ‘private conversation’, the next fight being announced. Two fights went by before it was finally time for the fight the whole room had been waiting for. The crowd went wild as it was announced, Sett strolling out from the arena entrance as his name was called with a cocky grin. He was fighting a foreigner, someone famous in the pits of Noxus.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lux watched in surprise, having figured out from the past two fights that these were all to the death. She swallowed thickly as she kept her eyes fixed on him, more than nervous. She fidgeted with her hands, unable to stop herself from worrying. Why was she worrying so much, though? He had just been so kind and thoughtful, and didn’t judge her for who she was. It then dawned on her that she cared for him more than she reasonably should, and she then realized that she had fallen in love with a complete stranger. She also considered that, maybe, she should stay in Ionia where she could actually be free to use her magic, but she was stirred from those thoughts as she remembered what was about to happen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sett looked up at the box, waving to her with a big grin. His outfit was flashy, but simple. Clearly made to be easy to maneuver in, well-fitting but elasticized pants, and a half jacket with a collared ruff of fur, his well muscled midsection exposed, his arms sleeveless. She was in slight awe, standing up and gripping at the edge of the box. She was nervous and excited all at the same time, waving back worriedly, and it was apparent in her features. She watched the opponent stalk out of the entrance he had been positioned at, grimacing slightly. He looked menacing, and almost as big as Sett was. She felt her nervousness growing at the sight, hoping that he didn’t get hurt.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sett chuckled softly, turning to watch the burly man advance slowly, content to let the guy come to him. His brass knuckles glinted in the arena light as he flexed his hands, readying to defend or make an attack, giving the other man the first move. The man circled a bit, lunging with a growl, swinging wildly at him. He had thought that using his fists against Sett would be his best option, since their weapons had to match typically, but boy was he wrong. Sett dodged to the left, spinning his body slightly and bringing his leg up into a nasty kick to the ribs, pushing the man back decently and knocking the wind out of him. His foot landed firmly as he finished out the move, clearly putting on more of a show tonight than usual.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lux gasped a bit, leaning forward slightly as she watched. The man huffed as he stumbled back, taking in a gasp of air as he charged at Sett again, arms out to tackle him to the floor, wanting to send him sprawling. Sett caught his hands and while holding him back, used his arms to launch himself over the other and un-corner himself as he did an acrobatic turn, landing on his feet once more behind the other man. He reeled back with a steeled fist, slamming with a nearly unnatural force into his spine, magic flaring around his fist. Lux found herself amazed that, he too, had magic. She scrutinized it closely, watching as the larger man nearly crumpled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He whirled sideways, swinging at Sett and finally connecting with his jaw, grinning and cackling as he did so. Lux’s hands flew to her mouth as she gasped, anxiety flaring up in her. Sett shook it off, blood smeared by his mouth from a freshly split lip as he grinned.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good one. My turn.” He taunted, slamming his brass-knuckle reinforced fist into his face harshly. The man reeled, going to swing at Sett wildly and missing, trying to regain his footing, finding it hard to walk after the punch to his lower back. He stumbled a bit, barely righting himself to face Sett. Sett huffed, mildly taking a step back, barely needing to evade. “Look, this isn’t really fun anymore, just gettin’ kinda sad. I’ll give you a chance to walk out with your life, but, if you keep goin’, I will kill you. If your pride means that much, Noxian. Up to you.” He said quietly, his eyes deadly serious. The man huffed, grim determination on his face. He reached in his belt and pulled out a long knife, diving forward and slashing Sett across the cheek with a roar of triumph, going for his eyes next. Sett was visibly surprised, dancing back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, I was givin’ you a chance, but you picked it, dude.” He shrugged slightly, growling as he ran at the man, smacking the hand gripping the knife and grabbing him by the neck before magic surrounded his feet and he leapt into the air, bringing the guy down hard into the ground in a flip that slammed him onto his back. The concrete cracked under the force, and Sett stood with heaving shoulders as he caught his breath, fist raised into the air in victory. The crowd went absolutely wild, Lux still in awe at the sheer magical power that Sett wielded, and openly, for that matter. She found herself looking away when the man no longer moved, realizing then that Sett was hurt.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She felt compelled to do something, rushing from the box and making her way down the stairs, shoving her way through the crowd. She passed by Ezreal, who tried to stop her, but she was too determined, and he let her pass. She finally arrived where he would come out, face plastered with worry. Surely he would get in trouble for using such magic… Sett was grinning when he came out, even with blood dripping sluggishly down his face from the cut, he was all smiles, catching her eye.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, you good? Enjoy the fight?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No I did not!” She protested, beckoning him to lean down. “Come here!” She demanded, ignoring the people swarming around him to congratulate him. She was also surprised that his eyes were only on her, and it made her feel suddenly self conscious. He chuckled a bit as he watched her, humming.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Relax, relax. You wanna clean me up?” He asked, raising a brow. He was sweaty from the match, and with all the people swarming, it was a little hard to focus. “Alright! I’m sure you all have bets to collect, fights to start or somethin’! Go get ready for the next match, night’s not over yet!” He called to the crowd, laughing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“As a matter of fact, I do!” She said with a huff, crossing her arms as she pouted. The crowd began to disperse after many congratulations, Lux standing her ground in front of him. The arena was being cleaned up for the next fight, and everything went on, business as usual. She found the whole thing odd, that this one man ran it all, but she supposed that that was how most things worked, much like how Demacia had one king. She sighed, frowning slightly. “You aren’t hurt badly, are you?” She asked, tone much softer than it had been before.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I’m not. He got my cheek good, but nothin’ serious. C’mon, I got a kit upstairs.” He hummed, a bit flustered that she was being so attentive to him. They had only met today, after all. He then realized that he was in love with this adorable stranger, who seemed to care so much about everyone she met, who made friends wherever she went with the most unlikely of people. He was also sad, though, as she was only visiting, and they would probably never see each other again. He couldn’t get his hopes up like this, he told himself. After all, maybe she was just being an extremely kind stranger. So off they went, up the stairs and into his flat, all the while his mind was reeling, trying to convince himself that she was simply a kind stranger.</span>
</p>
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